Intertidal volcano

  

Pink Volcano Barnacle (Tetraclita rubescens) on 31 May 2025.

 Thanks to Eric for another great barnacle photo! 

Thatched

  

Thatched Barnacle (Semibalanus cariosus) on 29 May 2025.

Thanks for the great photo, Eric!
 

Catch of the day

  

While out early working during the low tide this morning (27 May 2025),  we were in the middle of a survey when Eric heard a splash and turned to see a River Otter (Lontra canadensis) swimming not too far away from us.  (We were somewhat hidden by a rock.)  Eventually the otter caught a large fish and it climbed up onto a rock and starting eating.  

Although we only had a point-and-shoot camera, Eric was able to take a short video.  I think this is a Striped Surfperch (Embiotoca lateralis), but if you have a different opinion, please let me know!  [If you can't see the video player in the e-mail, click on the title of this post above to find the video on the NHBH web page.]

With gratitude for sharing coastal habitats with otter and fish!

Downy white

  

I ran into Laura outside of the grocery story today.  She told me a story about discovering a Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) nest in an old tree stump on her property recently.  It reminded both of us of the time a vulture nest was found in the Bodega Dunes.  I didn't have a great camera setup at that time, so this is Haruka Wada's photo (I think).  

If I remember right, the vulture in the photo was ~20 days old.  Back then, I hadn't seen a downy juvenile vulture before, so I was surprised to see how white it was.  I think it takes ~60 days or so before all of their black feathers come in.

Photographed in the Bodega Dunes on 24 May 2006.  (Hard to believe this was 19 years ago!)

P.S.  Thanks to Laura for the memory and to Haruka for the photo!

High zone explorer

  

Last week, Eric snapped a great photo of Ligia occidentalis.  You can find this interesting isopod scurrying across rocks in the high intertidal zone.

More to come

  

Blue Coast Gilia (Gilia capitata subsp. chamissonis), with some open flowers and others just starting to emerge (look for the tiny purple petal tips below the open flowers).  Photographed on 21 May 2025.

Rising and setting

  

We've been working lots of very early morning low tides recently, so here's a sunrise/moonset photo from last week.

At the larger end

  

Quick shot of a large By-the-wind Sailor (Velella velella) washed ashore this morning (13 May 2025).  Strong west winds have pushed thousands of Velella onto local beaches recently.  Most have been smaller than this one, but I'm always keeping my eyes on the range of sizes.

Seascape at sunset

  

Didn't have a chance to take photos this week, so here's one from January 2025 — seascape at sunset along the Sonoma Coast.

Satyrs and dragons

  

 Satyr Anglewing (Polygonia satyrus)

 

 

 

Close-up of a California Darner (Rhionaeschna californica)

 

Both photos from Cotati on 4 May 2025

 

The color purple

  

Eric spotted this beautiful Striped Dogwhelk (Nucella ostrina) yesterday (2 May 2025).  This is a common snail in the rocky intertidal zone in northern California, but we can't recall seeing purple variants of Nucella ostrina, so here's a photo for the record.

More often, Striped Dogwhelks are versions of black, brown, gray, or white.  Here are some individuals feeding on barnacles:

 

 

 

Occasionally you'll spot an orange Nucella ostrina —they really stand out! 

 

 

Breeding experiments suggest that color variation in Nucella ostrina likely has a genetic basis (Palmer 1984).

May beauty!

  

Wow!  When Claire started to ask me if I could help with a moth i.d. today (1 May 2025), I had no idea she would be taking me to see this beautiful Ceonothus Silkmoth (Hyalophora euryalus)!

Claire and Emma spotted this amazing moth while they were eating lunch.  It was cool at the coast today and the moth was very still, so we were able to get some nice photos.

Here's a close-up of her very fuzzy body, including the wonderful striped pattern on her abdomen:

 

 

 

Eric captured a nice view of the markings along the wing margins:

 

 

 

 

Zooming in, it just gets better:

 

 

 

 

And here's the apex of the forewing, with pretty rose-pink coloring and the oval spot with its little crescent moon:

 

 

 

 

You can even see the scales making up the oval spot:

 

 

 

Welcome to May!

 

With many thanks to Claire and Emma for spotting this beauty, and to Eric for most of the nice close-ups!